WINNIPEG – From Jennifer Jones winning gold at the Olympics to the death of teenager Tina Fontaine, from a new mayor to the attempt to unseat the premier, Manitoba news was one big story after another in 2014.
Here we recap the year’s top stories and ask: What do you think was Manitoba’s biggest news story of 2014?
The winter of 2013-14 and the infrastructure woes it exacerbated
The winter of 2013-14 was one of the worst on record, with Global News picking it as the worst among bad winters across Canada. The cold caused more than just cabin fever. Frozen underground pipes at homes across Winnipeg kept some without running water for months as the city fell behind on thawing them, and broken water mains caused headaches elsewhere, including on Morello Bay in the Maples, where more than a dozen cars ended up trapped in ice. Meanwhile, the freezing exacerbated problems with Manitoba’s crumbling infrastructure, landing one councillor in hot water with voters when he spoke about “lesser” vehicles on the roads.
READ MORE: Winnipeg faces $10M bill from broken water mains and frozen pipes
Jennifer Jones’ curling rink wins Olympic gold
Local heroes Jennifer Jones, Jill Officer, Kaitlyn Lawes and Dawn McEwen won Olympic curling gold with a perfect 11-0 record. There’s not much more to be said, but take a look at the photos of our outstanding Olympians.
RELATED: Jill’s House blog
Southwestern Manitoba inundated with water
An unexpected summer flood shocked many in a province that has grown used to dealing with floods caused by spring melting. While Winnipeg didn’t have to deal with the water, communities such as St. Lazare, Man., struggled to fight flooding with few resources.
Journey to Churchill: Assiniboine Park Zoo opens new central attraction
The Journey to Churchill exhibit, with its polar bears and signature underwater viewing tunnel, opened at Assiniboine Park Zoo on July 3. While opening day brought the requisite oohs and aahs, the exhibit has not been without its troubles:
- a week after the opening, wolves tunnelled into the polar bear enclosure;
- the bears chewed into a waterproof barrier, forcing the closure of the tunnel during repairs; and
- a seal got trapped in a drain and drowned in November.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights opens after more than a decade of work
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened in September after more than a decade of planning. The construction of the $350-million museum, the first national museum outside the Ottawa region, was plagued by controversy over exhibits, delays and cost increases, but has already become an iconic element in Winnipeg’s skyline.
FULL COVERAGE: Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Missing and murdered aboriginal women: Tina Fontaine, Rinelle Harper highlight plight
The fate of two teenage Winnipeggers brought the plight of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada into sharp relief.
The body of Tina Fontaine, 15, was found wrapped in a plastic bag in the Red River in August. The Winnipeg girl had been in Child and Family Services’ care and had contact with police, social services and the health system the day she disappeared. Her fate galvanized calls for a national inquiry into the issue, which have continually been rebuffed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Rinelle Harper, 16, was found beaten and unconscious next to the Assiniboine River in November. The girl’s story became known after police took the unusual step of releasing her identity in hopes of prompting tips in the case. Harper, who was attacked and left in the river but crawled out, only to be found and beaten again, raised the sympathy of many and put a living face on the issue. She herself called for a national inquiry at the Assembly of First Nations’ meetings in Winnipeg in December.
READ MORE: Year in Review: 2014 pivotal for issue of missing, murdered women
Winnipeg elects Brian Bowman after 10 years of Mayor Sam Katz
After more than a decade with Sam Katz as leader, Winnipeggers elected Brian Bowman their new mayor. The conservative privacy lawyer, a relative unknown at the start of the campaign, beat career politician and New Democrat Judy Wasylycia-Leis, who led the polls for most of the race. He also beat former Katz supporter Gord Steeves. He won on pledges to reform a scandal-plagued city hall.
FULL COVERAGE: Winnipeg Election 2014
Remains of six infants found in Winnipeg storage locker
The discovery of human remains, apparently those of multiple infants, in a Winnipeg storage locker in October shocked the city. The case remains before the courts, with Andrea Giesbrecht, the woman who rented the storage locker, facing six charges of concealing the bodies.
Rebellious MLAs resign from cabinet over discontent with Premier Greg Selinger
Manitoba’s premier faced an unprecedented revolt when five of his cabinet ministers publicly challenged his leadership and then resigned en masse in late October. Selinger, who has refused to step down as leader of the Manitoba NDP and the province, will have to run for his own job at the NDP convention in March. He will be challenged by rebel MLA Theresa Oswald and former infrastructure and transportation minister Steve Ashton, who left cabinet just before entering the leadership race.
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